Jeff: Welcome, dear viewers, and thank you for tuning in to the annual Sustainability Olympics! Up next is the hurdles, and stepping up is Jack – destination: Japan! Isn’t that right Geoff?
Geoff: It certainly is, Jeff. He intends to go all the way from the UK to Tokyo – a distance of around 9,224 kilometres, or 9,224,000 metres. And, of course, he intends to do it sustainably!
Jeff: Well, I’ll believe it when I see it, that lanky frame looks like it’s never jumped a hurdle in its life.
Geoff: Don’t be so pessimistic, my friend, sustainability is about making new starts. Speaking of, we’re about to begin!
Jeff: Three, two, one, he’s off!
Geoff: Well, it’s a – pardon the pun – flying start, but he’s quickly approaching the first hurdle: transport.
Jeff: Right, this one’s tricky. Given the destination, the only viable option is flight. But flying is hardly sustainable. As you see onscreen, one round-trip from London to Tokyo produces 3.9 tonnes of CO2 – 6.5 times the recommended annual emissions for one person! [1] This is costly – how do you think he’ll manage?
Geoff: Well – I don’t believe it, he’s cleared it!
Jeff: It seems he chose an economy-class flight to reduce emissions and used atmosfair’s airline index to help choose the most sustainable airline possible for him! [2]
Geoff: That alone wouldn’t suffice, but he’s also tried to offset some emissions by donating to organisations like Friends of the Earth and The Climate Coalition. While in Japan, he will travel on foot wherever possible, using Tokyo’s outstanding public transportation otherwise.
Jeff: Not perfect, but enough! That said, the next bunch are fast approaching.
Geoff: Yes, we’re coming to day-to-day living – where many slip up.
Jeff: First, food – an industry driving climate change, deforestation, and more. Further, Japan imports much of its food, which raises emissions substantially. [3]
Geoff: Well, Jeff, he’s cleared the first hurdle! It seems he’s eating vegetarian and vegan often (using brilliant resources like VegeProject Japan to find plant-based restaurants and cafes) and taking advantage of Japan’s growing leftover culture to reduce waste. He’s also attempting to buy from local, sustainable shops such as Waseda Natural Foods, only a short distance from his university, promoting sustainable production while supporting local suppliers!
Jeff: And the remaining hurdles have been cleared with moves like shopping at local markets and businesses like those on Waseda Doori, taking more domestic trips rather than flying to other countries and – oh!
Geoff: He’s slipped up.
Jeff: Well, we couldn’t expect a perfect run.
Geoff: He’s recovering, though! He’s acknowledging his mistake and moving on, implementing other measures wherever possible to lessen its impact!
Jeff: And… done! It wasn’t perfect, but it was a pretty sustainable go! As they say, a journey of 9,224,000 hurdles begins with a single jump!
Geoff: Something like that, Jeff. See you next year folks!
References and Resources:
[1]https://co2.myclimate.org/en/portfolios?calculation_id=8686397
[2]https://www.atmosfair.de/en/air_travel_and_climate/atmosfair_airline_index/
[3]https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0954349X22001278
https://www.waseda-natural.com/
https://vegeproject.org/en/
